Live Aid Funds Spent On Guns
Almost twenty-five years ago, Live Aid brought together many to raise a great deal of cash to help people who were starving in Africa. While it’s been said that one of the issues about Live Aid was that it raised approximately the same amount as one week’s worth of service debt and the funds raised really didn’t bring the relief it was designed to do, the BBC reports that Ethiopian rebel leaders “siphoned” millions raised by pretending to be merchants and bought guns with the funds.
The BBC story states:
But the merchant Mr Peberdy dealt with in that transaction claims he was, in fact, a senior member of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
“I was given clothes to make me look like a Muslim merchant. This was a trick for the NGOs,” says Gebremedhin Araya.
Underneath the sacks of grain he sold, he says, were sacks filled with sand.
He says he handed over the money he received to TPLF leaders, including Meles Zenawi - the man who went on to become Ethiopia’s prime minister in 1991.
Mr Meles, who is still in office, has declined to comment on the allegations.
To an extent, the global focus on Ethiopia and other parts of Africa came partially as a result of Live Aid. Perhaps this is why the ONE Campaign’s approach makes more sense than just giving donated cash to these unstable countries.
From a fan who supported the Live Aid / Band Aid cause, I am disappointed to find out that the good will of the people who contributed was met with such fraud. However, it just underscores the issues happening in these countries and the reason why activism is so important.
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5 Responses to “Live Aid Funds Spent On Guns”
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I think what often gets failed to be noticed in this situation is that during the famine, Ethiopia was ruled by a communist government that took power rather violently during the 70s; my grandfather was imprisoned under this rule. I’m not justifying that using the aid for buying guns was the right thing to do, especially because the people who bought them were under the leadership of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who has been in power since 1991, and has subtly displayed signs of corruption. So overall it is a really complicated issue unless you know all the background to it; I wouldn’t be too quick to judge the situation.
I would also argue that the One Campaign approach is different because it only deals with spreading awareness; and that aid is still really vital to improving the situation in places like Ethiopia. Transparency is just what needs to be demanded.
What an NGO didn’t function properly? Get outta here. All that Live Aid and Live 8 did was make marginal difference in the poor of Africa.
Many of the countries have reneged on their paltry promises of debt relif. As to the topic at hand, it is Capitalism in it’s full brutality and ugliness that has impoverished Africa. The years and years of colonial style enslavement has destroyed Africa and should they get a left wing government in, it will quickly be undermined by foreign countries.
^ What he said.
we should all read the book ‘Enough’ - it explains a lot. Look it up.